Top Energy Efficient Home Trends
As the cost of energy continues to rise, many home buyers today are looking for homes that are going to be easier and less expensive to run long term. It's important to know the trends to look for. Here are some of the most relevant findings to help you maximize your home’s potential when buying or selling a home.
Energy Star Dryers
Of all the various appliances with the Energy Star label, experts felt that the dryer made the biggest change in energy usage when switching to a more efficient model. This is due in part to the fact that dryers use nearly as much electricity as central air conditioning.
Heat Pumps
When it comes to heating a home, the heat pump is the most recommended method of heating for providing consistent heat and energy savings. Heat pumps work by exchanging outside air for inside air. It extracts the heat energy from the air outside--even in cold weather--and transfers it indoors. An electric heat pump is 50% more efficient than other forms of heating. It’s also the most frequently installed energy-efficient heating system in homes today.
DayLight for the Kitchen & Living Room
While experts agree that the best way to save money on electric bills without reducing the amount of usage is to use LED lights, there are still important things to consider when looking at a home for sale. Daylighting is an important component of reducing electricity. This has to do with how much natural light a room gets. The kitchen and living room are two spaces that use the most electricity. As such, it makes sense that home buyers may want to opt for homes that have sufficient natural light in these areas either through windows or skylights.
Tankless Water Heater
While the heat pump is the most popular way to heat a home, a tankless water heater is the most popular method of heating water. Tankless heaters are installed inside the walls of a home, and heat the water as it’s being used. This is in contrast to a heater that is constantly maintaining the temperature of any gallons of water at a time. Households that use this method of heating water can expect to save $100 per year on their water bill. Heat pumps and tankless heaters are both popular, but hybrid heat pump hot water heaters tend not to perform as well universally. Tankless heaters can be installed in more places, and perform better in cold-weather climates in general.
Low Flow Fixtures in Full Bathrooms
Households use a lot of water each day when they aren’t using low flow fixtures to try to restrict this usage. Experts felt the place that made the biggest difference when installing these items is in full bathrooms. This makes sense, as the full bathroom will include a tub and shower, as well as a sink and toilet. Installing low-flow fixtures in full bathrooms can help reduce the load on the water supply.
Solar Panels
This makes sense, as the full bathroom will include a tub and shower, as well as a sink and toilet. Installing low-flow fixtures in full bathrooms can help reduce the load on the water supply.
Homeowners and homebuyers today are motivated to make energy-efficient changes in their homes due to the potential to save money as well as energy.
More people are generally aware of the need to protect the environment, so it makes sense that is the second reason homeowners are motivated to consider energy-efficient homes.
What do you have in your home to make it more energy efficient?